


Precious Bonds

by enchantedlightningwrites



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Banter, Cisco Ramon Has A Dog, Dogs, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Humor, Let Cisco Ramon Have A Pet, Not Canon Compliant, POV Cisco Ramon, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-04
Updated: 2020-06-04
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:06:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24538957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/enchantedlightningwrites/pseuds/enchantedlightningwrites
Summary: The story of Cisco finding a furry friend and how he brought it under his wing.
Relationships: Cisco Ramon & Original Pets
Comments: 2
Kudos: 3
Collections: Flarrowverse Shipyard





	Precious Bonds

**Author's Note:**

> Yo, so me writing another Gen fic, starring Cisco Ramon? It's more likely than you think.
> 
> Anyway, I've had this idea for three months, started writing it in April and then SBBingo and RWeek kept me busy. But I finally found my motivation to finish this, so :D.
> 
> I love giving superheroes pets, can't you tell?? Lol.
> 
> Big thanks goes to Captain Gwoonth and ChristineQuizMachine on the Flarrowverse Shipyard discord server! 
> 
> To ChristineQuizMachine, without that one specific idea, I might have abandoned this thing, for real. Thanks for some inspiration for a few convos, and hope you enjoy seeing an idea brought to life. Hope Cisco gets his precious fennec fox, someday, xD. To Captain Gwoonth, thanks for beta-ing this, for the HELPFUL suggestions, and helping me realize my comma indulgence, lmaooo. Without you, this whole thing would have been a mess. 😂
> 
> So, imagine this taking place in a Flashpoint-less season 3! Apology for the timeline being... not so canon compliant.
> 
> For anyone, who wants info and visual on Wilmer, click [this.](https://enchanted-lightning-aes.tumblr.com/post/619791748411113472/basics-name-wilmer-willy-livingston-age-34)
> 
> Happy reading!

**May 7, 2017, Central City**

“Cheer up,” Caitlin murmured, walking across the expanse of the park. “I’m sure, you’ll be able to handle the awkwardness between you and your brother.”

Cisco laughed, albeit bitterly. “Yeah, Cait, Armando is just gonna be easy-peasy to talk to! With Dante, it’s fine. But with him . . . it’s complicated.”

The clouds gathered in the lavender sky, forming different kinds of shapes as soft as cotton candy.

“How complicated?” Caitlin asked.

“We both had a crush on the same guy in junior year in high school complicated?” Cisco scrunched his face, his mood falling.

Wilmer gently nudged him. “Can’t you two just be mature about it?”

“Wilmer!” Caitlin chided.

Wilmer raised his brows, staring at his friend.

“Tryna be honest here, Cait. He can’t take the forced positivity right now.”

“Thank you!” Cisco muttered, throwing his hands up.

“Although, I must admit that it’s kind of a long time for either of you to hold a grudge about that,” Wilmer said, his smooth voice going firm. “If you need a plus one, I can be your guy.”

Cisco shook his head.

“Dude, no offense, but I don’t want you to be in an not-so supportive family environment, considering how you’ve been raised by folks, who are the _exact_ opposite.”

Wilmer grimaced with slight offense.

“Just because I’m a ‘trust fund baby’, doesn’t mean that I can’t survive in a harsh environment.”

“Yeah, but I don’t want my family to judge you for being a baker.”

“Well, Em’s not here, and I don’t want you to be swamped in awkward tension with Armando. You need to bring _someone._ Why not Iris? She’s a talented conversationalist.”

“Not to throw you off, Wilmer, but Iris is busy with this new report on CCPN,” Caitlin said, sounding apologetic. “Hey, I know. What about Eddie?”

“Eddie’s got therapy that night,” Cisco informed her with a crestfallen sigh. “I asked him, and he told me that he can’t make it.”

The three of them moved past the benches, where the flowering leaves cluttered.

“There has to be somebody willing to go with you.” Caitlin scratched her forehead. “How about Barry? Why don’t you just ask him?”

“Ugh, no way.” Cisco shuddered. “His mouth’s got this tendency to piss others off, and I don’t want him to get my family’s wrath.”

“Why not Wally?” Wilmer suggested, hopefully. “He’s energetic and charming, I’m sure he can use some of his engineering skills to keep the tension at bay.”

“He’s busy with...”

The sound of a rough, ragged breathing cut him off. Cisco tensed a bit, turning his head towards the source. His eyes widened, as he glanced downhill. An almost hairless pale Westland Terrier struggled for its life on the path of the sidewalk. Inflicts of scratches and wounds patched on its furred skin.

Cisco’s heart squeezed and tightened.

“There’s an injured dog!” He cried, pointing at it. “It looks bad.”

Wilmer moved his head in a higher angle, —curse tall people— getting a better look. His mouth slacked, then he crossed towards the animal.

“Shit, some people are neglectful assholes,” he muttered, under his breath. Cisco followed him, as he carefully grabbed on the collar. “Who is careless enough to leave their dog like this? There’s no name on it. It’ll be harder to track down the owners.”

Wilmer rested a hand on its back, trying to relax it.

Cisco had seen enough scratches in a lifetime, to notice the difference between a knife, a human’s fingernails or a dog’s claw. His jaw clenched and he gritted his teeth.

“That’s because the owner did it to him,” Cisco murmured, darkly. “I hate people who do crap like this, just because they can.”

When he had been in elementary school, there had been this group of kids, who enjoyed teasing and hurting a dog with no mercy or remorse. By the sixth grade, the dog had received a limp and a patchy forehead at their hands.

Cisco had wanted to do something, but the kids had always pushed him off. Even if he tried giving the dog leftover meat or a snack, they made some threats and insults of how he liked _ugly_ dogs.

Sure, it hadn’t been cute with the uneven floppy ears and skin that looked as if it were rotting. But it didn’t deserve the f**king bad treatment.

Sometimes, he stayed up and cried all night because of how it got hurt so badly. And he had been a _kid,_ who just saw the little ways how humans could be dicks for fun.

Ugh. At least Hartley had changed for the better, to be honest. Compared to those... sadists.

Emerick and his family had never abused their golden retriever, Peony. And he felt so glad that they hadn’t. And he also felt so glad that he didn’t, because otherwise, he would be cutting him off from his friendship contacts.

He had been in a bad mood because he missed the furry and funny gal. She stayed with Em in England, just several miles away from Central City. Cisco bent down beside Wilmer, gathering the dog in his hands.

Its light and limp body only amplified his sympathy.

“I’m gonna ask a cab to bring us to the nearest vet,” Cait told him, jumping on the pavement. “Poor thing.”

At least, no metas needed to be dealt with. If there were, he wasn’t sure if the little guy or gal could have made it.

***

The dog whimpered as the assistant wiped its scratches and blood with a piece of wet cloth, and it shivered. Its dark eyes, huge with fear, somewhat haunted him.

Caitlin sat on the chair near the desk, while Wilmer leaned against the wall. She got closer to the dog, limping. Worry strained Cisco’s mind, and he felt a hand rest on his shoulder. Wilmer’s expression softened with reassurance when he patted him.

The vet, Doctor Renton, carried a file with the results. She clicked her heels on the floor, raising her Buddy-Holly glasses.

Quickly, he stood up from the bed.

“I ran tests through the dog, five times, and she’s fine,” Doctor Renton stated, and Cisco’s shoulders dropped in relief. “She’s as healthy as can be, and only needs to be treated with some care and nutrition. You’re lucky, you found her, before something worse could have occurred.”

“Thank Gandalf,” he whispered, sinking back on the chair.

Wilmer pushed off from the wall, sighing. “When will humans learn we’re not the better species just because we use our brain?”

The puppy seemed to agree with him when it whimpered. He hesitantly hovered his fingers above its snout. The dog sniffed it as if inspecting him.

Cisco moved to the table, and her nose followed him. She smelled his hand and then its pink tongue flicked across his knuckles. He chuckled and she barked at him, sounding eager.

Caitlin looked at him with a small smile.

“I think she likes you, Cisco,” Cait said as the dog yapped.

It sent a nerve prickling down his spine.

“I’m not sure if I should keep her.” Cisco sighed. “Maybe we can send her off to the shelter. That way some other folks could adopt her. I think Terriers are in this season.”

As if she understood what he was saying, the dog whined. He tilted his head up, watching her eyes grow big, pleading. He grimaced, and Wilmer smoothed her tiny ears.

Would he be able to keep her with him? Sure, he had more hours of being free than being at work, but he didn’t know if he would be able to take care of it. He wanted to have a dog of his own. Not that he wanted to own one, it was just that... he wanted one with him.

That wasn’t with someone else, for a long time.

Yeah, he wanted a pet.

Wilmer let out a laugh when the dog nuzzled against his neck.

“Easy there, little fella,” Wilmer murmured, stroking her pale fur.

To gain her attention, Cisco grabbed a can of dog food. He poured half of it over a red bowl and presented it to her.

The dog picked up the meaty whiff, her head snapped up. She hopped out of Wilmer’s arms, dashing towards the beef dipped in gravy. She munched on the food, fast and sloppy.

“Whoa, she hasn’t eaten for far too long,” Cisco quipped, bending. She slobbered over the food, confirming it. “Yup. Her stomach needs to be full.”

Wilmer hunched on the floor. “And she does need somebody to be her friend. I can give cash for essentials, if you want.”

Cisco’s eyes widened, and he winced.

“That’s too much, bro,” Cisco replied, slightly shaking his head. “I can’t really… well, are you sure about this?”

Wilmer’s face relaxed with a sincere grin. “Hey, I like doing you a favor. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have gotten out of the penthouse. I’ll let you have one thousand dollars.”

“That’s too much just for _one_ dog.”

“That’s enough for six months, dude. I’ve got too much money on my plate. What do you say?”

Cisco wrinkled his nose, sending a brief glance to the puppy, who panted and stretched her little paws. Too tempting and so cute, he thought, clutching the lapel of his jacket.

“Alright, it’s a deal,” Cisco finally said, with a long breath. “I’ve got a lot of free time, and ya know? Having a puppy doesn’t sound too bad.”

Not to mention, it would provide him the stress relief he clearly longed for.

Wilmer swooped him into his arms, almost crushing him with a bear hug. Cisco squeaked before being put down in the ground.

“Sorry,” Wilmer murmured, sounding sheepish.

Something chimed, and they all turned to Caitlin, who was checking her phone.

“Let’s go, Barry’s waiting for us at Jitters,” Caitlin said.

Wilmer followed her with a nod, and just as Cisco tried going with them, he looked back once more.

The vet stared at the messy floor in horror.

“Don’t worry, I’ll clean it up,” Cisco said, rubbing the back of his neck.

He picked up the bowl, bringing it to the sink. During the entire time, the puppy watched Cisco, before they left the office.

***

The corridors of S.T.A.R Labs had been filled with the noise of a little dog named Ripley running across the floors. She yapped quietly, trying to chase some shadow she had seen earlier.

That was where Barry Allen almost tripped on his way to the cortex.

“Whoa!” His feet slipped on the slippery floor, as he tried to regain his balance. “What the hell was that?”

Checking for any sign of danger, he turned his head from side to side. He shrugged, scratching it with a hand. He could have sworn something was rushing in front of him before he could fall down. Meh, probably Wally.

_Except it’s small. And definitely not Wally and sorta slower._

Barry’s lips drooped in a frown. He rushed off to where he had been going, stopping to change his suit. He whooshed to the computers, where he found Cisco eating a bag of Pringles.

“Hey, dude,” Cisco greeted, his eyes locked on the screen.

Barry tilted his head, a little. “Hey, have you seen something in the lab, earlier?”

“None that I’m aware,” Cisco replied, clicking the mouse. “Why is there something off?”

“I’m not sure, but I almost tripped on my way here,” Barry said, and a sharp woof echoed through the room. “What was that?”

 _Arrf!_ Cisco chuckled, turning in his chair to the doorway. A small white dog skedaddled inside the room, and his friend spread his arms for it. He picked it up, running a hand down its head.

“Oh, you mean this?” Cisco held the dog up. “Barry, meet Ripley. Ripley, this is Barry.”

Cisco moved her paw in a wave.

“Did you name her after Sigourney Weaver from _Aliens_?” Barry asked, incredulously.

Cisco snorted. “She’s as feisty as they come. Energetic, should I say.”

“Where did you even find her?”

“At the park, three days ago, with Wilmer and Caitlin. She had been injured, so we took her to the vet. And the most surprising thing is that she actually warmed up to me really quickly. Oh, and she’s got a habit of running all over the place.”

Realization dawned on Barry as he dropped his shoulders.

“That explains why I almost tripped on something.”

Cisco pouted as if aiming for innocence. “Sorry, man. I wanted her here to keep me company.”

“Where are Caitlin and Hartley?”

“Oh, they should be over here in their way soon.”

Barry’s lips parted for a second before an alarm rang, gaining Cisco’s attention. His fingers hit the keyboard as he checked the monitor, and after a moment spent typing, he glanced up at Barry.

“There’s an armed robbery at the Central City Mall Complex,” Cisco informed, hastily. “It looks like they’ve cornered up the lunch corner on the second floor. Nuh-uh, that’s just not cool.”

“Again?” Barry asked, groaning. “Alright, fine. I’m going in.”

“I’m gonna pull up the map,” Cisco said, already focusing on the lit screen. “Get ready to go, this looks like another low level of crime.”

Ripley yapped, bouncing out of Cisco’s lap. She ran under the table, practically disappearing from the view.

Barry dashed towards the Flash suit, putting it on. Once he covered himself in the full costume, the adrenaline rushed through him as he left the lab.

***

“Quit trying to scare ‘em,” Cisco requested, rinsing his plate in the sink. “It’s never gonna happen.”

He only received a quick ‘arf’ on the other side, then the puppy kept on barking wildly.

He sighed, shaking his head at the stubborn Ripley, who seemed hell-bent on her task.

The puppy growled at the inanimate object laying on the carpet, and she bit the leg of the elephant plush. Her teeth sank through the fabric, ripping a few cotton strings out. She shook it until it turned limp.

When she probably realized, she destroyed it, Ripley whimpered and dropped the toy. She hung her head low in shame.

Cisco bit back a chuckle, not wanting to feel amusement at the expense of her misery. Okay, the puppy had feelings, so he didn’t want to be a dick about it.

After the mission, Cisco had decided to go to the pet store for pet food, supplies, and toys. And it wasn’t as expensive as he thought, since he had paid one hundred fifty dollars for all the things he had bought. For the rest of the afternoon, Cisco had spent making his apartment into a puppy’s cosy home. She kept on trailing him whenever, he set any of her items in different spots. She marked a corner of the kitchen as her territory, so he transferred most of her stuff there.

He had taken her out for a brief walk, and she found a place to dig. Oh, well. At least, it wasn’t a property of the apartment, or he might have gotten some fine over that.

He might build a dog castle (yes, he meant _that_ ) for her, because well, any dog would love to have their own space.

Cisco caught a glimpse of the glittering night sky through his window, as he dried his hands with a hand towel. He set the plate into the dish rack.

As he stepped away from the kitchen, Cisco proceeded to go towards the puppy.

Cisco picked her up. “Let’s give you, a quick bath.”

Ripley barked, brushing the top of her head against his chin. His lips curled up into a content smile when he stroked her furry back.

He turned the knob of the bathroom door and flipped the lights on. He let her hop onto the tiled floor as he turned on the water tap. He gathered the dog hygienic essentials in a stool, preparing it for Ripley’s bath.

He added bubbles to the tub, which had been filled with water from the tap. Before he could put Ripley in, she crashed into it, spilling some onto him and the floor. It dampened his shirt and splashed on his face.

Thankfully, he had put away his phone prior to this, or else he would have gotten a massive electric shock.

Learning to clean a Westland Terrier from the internet wasn’t a bad idea, right?

It might possibly lead to a successful result.

Kneeling down against the edge of the tub, Cisco slowly dipped his hands into the soapy water. He raised it to lightly scrub the sides of Ripley’s face and her side, removing the filth covering her fur. He applied some shampoo and rubbed it on his palms, continuing to clean her.

Once the bath finished, Cisco carefully rinsed her with a big towel. He dried his hands again and retrieved a hairdryer from the drawer. She jumped onto the stool, pushing the things off to the floor.

Sigh. He had to pick those up when she left the bathroom.

He plugged it and started blowing the air on her drenched fur, repeating the progress until it became fully dried.

She panted, obviously liking the wind against her face. Her expression fell when he turned the hairdryer off.

Cisco bent down, stroking her ears and her cheeks. Ripley’s tongued peeped out to lick the side of his cheek and he chuckled.

Man, at this point, he should probably arrange a monthly schedule for Ripley, on when to clean her, feed her, and buy stuff for her.

A reminder slipped into his mind, and he lowered his arms. Blech, he still had to decide on who to bring to Armando’s promotion party.

Cisco looked at Ripley, as an idea formed.

“I don’t have to go to Armando’s birthday with a human, right?” Cisco asked, even though he knew the dog wouldn’t understand him. “Or maybe, I can tag you along with me!”

He gestured at the puppy, only for her to tilt her head. He smiled and stood up, stretching his arms.

Cisco turned his wrist. “Maybe I should train you.”

Ripley barked, getting up on her tiny feet. Cisco patted her in the head.

“You can go, but don’t try to rip off Mr. Fuzzy’s ears again.”

After his puppy ran out of the bathroom, Cisco returned the dog items and fixed the area.

***

“She’s so cute!” Iris gushed, lightly scratching Ripley’s chin. “Look at that adorable face!”

Caitlin simpered, running a palm on the puppy’s back. “And her fur coat is so pristine! Cisco, you did a fantastic job at cleaning her.”

Ripley tipped her head high, and Caitlin booped her nose with a finger. Barry squished in between Iris and Caitlin, reaching out for her paws. Only to get pushed back by accident, as Caitlin stood beside Iris, who made faces.

Cisco chuckled, putting his arms around himself. Wilmer cast heart eyes at the puppy. Too late for him to take her from him.

In the S.T.A.R Labs cortex, the team was planning about strategies against the new bad guy of the week. But once Ripley interrupted Iris speaking, they all started cooing and paying attention to her. It seemed like she liked it because she kept on ‘woofing’ at them.

Except for Hartley, who scoffed and leaned against the wall. He only watched them with varying degrees of disinterest. Maybe if Cisco held Ripley up in his face, it might melt his cold attitude.

Hah, probably not gonna happen, though.

Wilmer grinned, resting a hand at Cisco’s shoulder. “See? I told you, it was a good plan to take her in! Look at her! She’s so friendly and playful! You’ve spent the cash, wisely.”

“It only took me one trip to the pet store,” Cisco started emphatically, “to realize that the price of pet food ranges from four bucks to twenty! Honestly, how do most people…?”

“Dunno, man,” Wilmer answered, lifting his broad shoulders in a shrug. “I’ve only had a rabbit as a kid, and I took care of it… until it passed away in 2005.”

“Ouch. It still hurts, when you think of it, right?”

“Sometimes. So, is she going to get a collar?”

“Hmm, been thinking about it, since I woke up. I’m having trouble picking the colors.”

“Something like your Vibe suit might suit her.”

“Are you kidding me? I doubt that any store has any collar with those colors in stock. I’m not gonna… or maybe Barry can check it out for me.”

“I don’t think there’s any difference if you _or_ Barry checked out every pet store.”

Cisco tossed his hands up in the air.

“What makes you say that?!”

“I’m sure to Barry, when he uses his speed, the effort doesn’t change for him.

“But he can still go in a store and see a decent collar and get out quickly.”

“Fair enough,” Wilmer said, slightly tightening his mouth.

Barry turned to them, his expression semi-dazed and confused.

“So, you found her randomly in a park?” Barry asked, scratching the top of his head.

“Yep.” Cisco nodded, rather enthusiastically. “Ain’t she the cutest thing ever?”

“I’m not gonna lie, the puppy is cute. But what if she might have... rabies or something?”

Cisco’s entire mood fell, his eye starting to twitch.

“Say what, now?”

“I just think, she might have some diseases or something that might affect the team.”

The cortex stumbled into silence until Cisco shattered it with an exaggerated gasp. He rushed towards Ripley, picking her up from the table, and held her close to his chest.

“Barry, how dare you?!” Cisco asked, theatrically. “I might have found Ripley, while she was dirty and covered in filth, but she’s my precious princesa.”

“Besides, we checked in with the vet,” Wilmer added, smoothly. “And she told us Ripley had no sicknesses, other than slight malnutrition.

“Whoa, I didn’t want to offend you, I was ju—”

Cisco raised a finger, wagging it in front of him.

“In fact, from now on… Hartley gets to be the godfather!”

Ripley responded with her tongue rolling out at Barry’s way, energetically panting. Iris and Caitlin murmured at her, their faces filled with adoration.

The power of cuteness was strong with this one, Cisco thought, with a smirk.

Barry squinted and contorted his lips, his expression unamused. It drew a faux gasp from Hartley, who pressed forward.

“Urgh, no way,” Hartley replied, rolling his eyes. “She’s nothing, but—” His gaze briefly rested on Ripley, then softened into a frown. “Endearing. Okay, she’s rather cuter than I thought. But it doesn’t change anything!”

“Fine!” Cisco gestured at Iris. “She’s the godmother, instead!”

At Cisco’s declaration, Iris cheered and clasped her hands together. Her lips stretched into a giddy grin.

“Does this mean we get to pick a collar for her?” Iris asked, not hiding her excitement.

“Uh-huh,” Cisco replied, hiding Ripley from Hartley and Barry’s view. “Do you want to go right now? The nearest one is over on Main Street, I think.”

“Really? Let’s go!”

“Hey, guys!” Barry called, waving his arms in the air. “What about the party Cisco mentioned? Did you finally decided on who to bring with you?”

Shit. Who told Barry about the f**king party? Certainly not Wilmer or Caitlin, right?

His chest heaved with realization and he threw a scowl at Hartley. He jumped back with a defensive expression.

“I didn’t say anything!” Hartley screeched.

“Then who did?! You always spill the beans, Rathaway!”

“It’s not always me, Cisquito,” Hartley muttered, pressing his lips.

“I’m not going,” Caitlin said, wincing awkwardly. “Because I have a seminar to attend downtown.”

“I can’t go, either.” Iris sighed heavily. “I’m busy with finalizing a report for the CCPN.”

“Too busy doing my own thing,” Hartley added, examining his fingernails.

Barry pursed his lips, lightly shrugging. “I would go, but I don’t want to ruin everything with my impulsive need to make conversations weird.”

 _Good choice, buddy,_ he thought, lightly curling his fingers.

Absolutely not gonna happen.

“I thought I’m already your plus one?” Wilmer narrowed his eyes, wrinkling his forehead.

“I never said ‘yes’, and I didn’t say ‘no’, either.”

“But do you have somebody else to consider?”

Wilmer stared at him in a challenging way, so Cisco took a deep breath and nodded.

“Uh, I’m taking Ripley to the party,” Cisco announced, trying to lock eyes with everyone. “Because I get to have a distraction with me, and she might be a good buffer. Cuteness can be used to prevent awkwardness.”

“Wouldn’t your family notice you trying to escape from a conversation with them?” Barry asked, sounding concerned.

“Pfft, I could care less.” Cisco scoffed, rubbing Ripley’s forehead. “If you’ll excuse me, Iris and I have to look for a perfect collar for my princesa.”

“Would she look cute in a super suit?” Iris asked, as soon as she caught up with him. “Because my head’s full of Ripley wearing a mini version of the Vibe suit, and I think that you could make one for her!”

“Hey, not bad,” Cisco remarked, as the puppy whined a little. “Maybe I can work on it, tomorrow! I think I know the perfect design for her.”

Yellow lightning whooshed into the cortex just as everyone gathered to leave. They all whipped their heads in its direction.

Wally put a foot to the ground to gain balance, spreading his arms out. “What I missed?”

***

In the map that showcased a street of Central City, two dots were going neck and neck. Another icon that featured an automobile tried catching up to them.

Barry was facing a meta who could blast metallic nails at him as if he were using a hammer to slam him into any available vertical surface. The meta was close to putting Barry down with a striking punch. He received a serious amount of scratches on his arms, all because he ran over in circles to the meta.

His actions had caused a backfire as the nails caught in the whirlwind and pierced through his skin.

Oh, and his suit sustained tearing and puncture holes, too. It pissed Cisco off because that was so not cool. It had been the fifteenth time this year!

So, Cisco and Wilmer drove up to the location in order to test out a device that would render the nails to be suspended. Cisco had worked on that for five hours under pressure, not certain about its capability yet.

The van parked near the sidewalk. The door burst open, allowing a small figure to jump out and run across the pavement in strong sprints. Cisco clapped and put on his Vibe goggles, patting Wilmer on the back. He was going to leave him to handle the controls and communication since Cisco needed to be a guard for the figure.

He would do a fine job. Cisco had taught him a lot about doing the job of being the ‘nerd’ in a chair. (It resulted in many accidental computer mishaps, but they weren’t going to speak about _that_.)

“Good luck!” Wilmer exclaimed. “I’m taking it over from here! Barry, you got incoming!”

Cisco nodded, getting down to the pavement. He had kept a tracker on the figure so he would be able to trail it from behind.

Trying to keep a safe distance, Cisco ran towards the Alcove. The figure kept on running towards the alleyway, its pace hasty and full of vigour.

Alleys were never a good place to have a face-off with a bad guy, in Cisco’s humble opinion.

Training should be an essential to defeat metas with powers they would never considered to exist. And it should be necessary for tiny, strong-willed creatures, too.

At S.T.A.R Labs, Caitlin was preparing the medical tools and first-aid for Barry.

He panted, after stopping by a streetlamp for a break. The figure went ahead on their own. He was going to stand back because he didn’t want to be near that villain. And he didn’t want his Vibe suit to get damaged, so.

Shuffling to his feet, he continued on his way to the alley. When he reached the end, he found Barry getting the back of his head slammed into the wall. Yikes, it got bad, real quick.

Pressing a finger on his comms, Cisco activated it.

“We have a diversion!” Cisco announced excitedly through the speakers. “Get ready!”

Barry turned to the side, writhing. “What diversion?!”

The metahuman grinned, as they shoved him up against the wall. “Any last words, Flash?”

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Barry muttered under his breath.

The villain hoisted their arm up, causing dozens of nails to float in the air. But it all crashed in a clang when a high‐pitched bark echoed through the hazy atmosphere.

Ripley stood there, in a mini‐sized Vibe suit, her face strained with ferocity. Despite her small size, her voice sounded louder with her aggression aimed at the metahuman.

The metahuman’s grip stiffened, as they released Barry, who sank down to the floor. They scrunched their face at the puppy before they erupted into a maniacal laugh.

“So, this is your savior, Flash?!” The metahuman asked, pressing their hands over their stomach. “C’mon, you’ve gotta be better than that.”

Ripley growled, baring her teeth. She tightened her posture into defense mode. Cisco merely grinned like a proud parent over their kid participating in a talent show.

If he had his phone at the moment, he would be taking a photo of her right now.

The meta sneered at her, still overcome with despicable laughter.

Barry picked himself up, taking heavy breaths. He almost smiled at the meta rather painfully.

“It depends,” Barry answered, as he slammed a punch at the meta’s back.

The meta stopped laughing, spun on their feet and collapsed to the ground. Cisco tossed a pair of dampener cuffs at Barry, and he quickly tied them up.

“Nice one,” Cisco commented, clapping his hand against Barry’s.

“Phew, thanks for showing up!” Barry wiped the sweat from his forehead. “They nearly took me out with a bunch of nails! They kept on pinning the sleeves to the wall.”

“Yeah, my suit got ruined.” Cisco’s stomach twisted with displeasure. “Now I’ve got a lot of work to do over the weekend! Great.”

Barry folded his arms over his chest, grimacing with shame. “Sorry.”

At least, Cisco still had his sewing kit at home. He still wondered, why they don’t have insurance for the Flash suit. Oh, wait, because Barry didn’t think it was necessary.

Maybe he should create a presentation and use it to convince him. _Somehow._

An ecstatic bark captured his attention and Cisco jumped around in his puppy’s direction, who was rushing towards him.

“Hey!” Cisco scooped Ripley up in his arms, immediately peppering her face with kisses. “Now who’s a good doggie? Oh, yes, you are!”

Ripley woofed, sweeping her tongue in a slobbery lick on his cheek. Cisco brushed a finger against the tiny golden crown on her collar.

“Aww, you two are disgustingly cute,” Barry murmured, fondly. Then he pointed at the meta. “Now, let’s bring him to the CCPD.”

“Thankfully, we’ve got the van and the paperwork for the trial’s done.”

“You came in with the van? I thought you used your powers to get here.”

Cisco shook his head, carrying his puppy closer.

“Nah, I needed to find an excuse for the van to be used. Let’s get outta here.”

Before Cisco could create a vibrational blast, Barry grabbed a hand of the meta, moving away and dragged it towards the direction of the van. Or that was something, Cisco could assume.

Cisco sighed. “Looks like, we’ll have to take a walk.”

Ripley whimpered, as if she were annoyed.

Cisco strolled a long way down to the path of the van, with Ripley. She rested her head against his cheek, and he stroked her fur, whistling.

**Author's Note:**

> If you want to ramble with me, you can @enchanted-lightning-aes in tumblr!


End file.
